Popular Comics #3 for Sale - First Appearance of The Dragon Lady - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: Popular Comics (Dell, 1936 series)
Issue: #3
Publication date: April 1936
Key date: 1936-04-00
On-sale date: 1936-02-28
Indicia publisher: Dell Publishing Co. Inc.
Price: $0.10
Pages: 68

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of The Dragon Lady - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	-	cover	1
1	-	comic story	1	script: Bill Holman; pencils: Bill Holman; inks: Bill Holman	Smokey Stover; Chief Nutt
2	-	comic story	0.8	script: Frank Willard; pencils: Frank Willard; inks: Frank Willard	Mamie; William P. Mullins; Kayo Mullins
3	Kitty's Dog Steals a Hat	comic story	0.2	script: Frank Willard; pencils: Frank Willard; inks: Frank Willard	Kitty Higgins
4	-	comic story	0.8	script: Walter Berndt; pencils: Walter Berndt; inks: Walter Berndt	Smitty
5	Herby Draws on a Door	comic story	0.2	script: Walter Berndt; pencils: Walter Berndt; inks: Walter Berndt	Herby
6	Boris Arson	comic story	4	script: Chester Gould; pencils: Chester Gould; inks: Chester Gould	Dick Tracy; Pat Patton; Yellowpony; Boris Arson (villain); Zora Arson; Junior Tracy; Mary Steele; Tess Trueheart
7	-	comic story	0.6	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby	Skippy Skinner
8	Golf Ball on String	comic story	0.4	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby
9	-	comic story	1	script: Robert L. Ripley; pencils: Robert L. Ripley; inks: Robert L. Ripley
10	-	comic story	3.2	script: Harold Gray; pencils: Harold Gray; inks: Harold Gray	Annie; Daddy Warbucks; Punjab
11	-	comic story	0.8	script: Harold Gray; pencils: Harold Gray; inks: Harold Gray
12	-	comic story	1	script: Carl Ed; pencils: Carl Ed; inks: Carl Ed	Harold Teen
13	-	comic story	3	pencils: Sidney Smith; inks: Sidney Smith	Andy Gump [Andrew Gump]; Chester Gump; Min Gump
14	Real Magic	activity	1	script: A. W. Nugent; pencils: A. W. Nugent; inks: A. W. Nugent
15	-	comic story	0.6	script: Gene Byrnes; pencils: Gene Byrnes; inks: Gene Byrnes
16	-	comic story	0.4	script: Gene Byrnes; pencils: Gene Byrnes; inks: Gene Byrnes	Daisybelle
17	Briar's Victory!	comic story	1	script: Edwin Alger; pencils: Edwin Alger; inks: Edwin Alger
18	-	comic story	1	script: Carl Ed; pencils: Carl Ed; inks: Carl Ed	Harold Teen
19	-	comic story	0.7	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Mutt; Jeff
20	Cat Chases Frog	comic story	0.3	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Cicero's Cat
21	-	comic story	1.8	script: Hal Forrest; pencils: Hal Forrest; inks: Hal Forrest	Tailspin Tommy Tomkins; Betty Lou; Koroloff (villain)
22	-	comic story	1.2	script: Hal Forrest; pencils: Hal Forrest; inks: Hal Forrest	Tailspin Tommy Tomkins
23	-	comic story	1	script: Robert L. Ripley; pencils: Robert L. Ripley; inks: Robert L. Ripley
24	-	comic story	0.6	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby	Skippy Skinner
25	-	comic story	0.4	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby
26	Nugent's Originals	activity	1	script: A. W. Nugent; pencils: A. W. Nugent; inks: A. W. Nugent
27	-	comic story	1	script: Ed Leffingwell; pencils: Ed Leffingwell; inks: Ed Leffingwell	Little Joe; Constable Utah Smirk
28	-	comic story	0.8	script: Bill Holman; pencils: Bill Holman; inks: Bill Holman	Smokey Stover; Chief Cash U. Nutt
29	-	comic story	0.2	script: Bill Holman; pencils: Bill Holman; inks: Bill Holman	Spooky (a cat); Fenwick Flooky
30	-	comic story	0.6	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	Eph Wortle
31	-	comic story	0.4	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	Little Stanley
32	-	comic story	0.6	script: Gene Byrnes; pencils: Gene Byrnes; inks: Gene Byrnes
33	-	comic story	0.4	script: Gene Byrnes; pencils: Gene Byrnes; inks: Gene Byrnes	Daisybelle
34	-	comic story	1	script: Zack Mosley; pencils: Zack Mosley; inks: Zack Mosley	Smilin' Jack Martin; Dart
35	-	comic story	0.8	script: Frank Willard; pencils: Frank Willard; inks: Frank Willard	Emmy; William P. Mullins; Kayo Mullins
36	-	comic story	0.2	script: Frank Willard; pencils: Frank Willard; inks: Frank Willard	Kitty Higgins
37	-	comic story	1	script: Gaar Williams; pencils: Gaar Williams; inks: Gaar Williams
38	-	comic story	0.5	script: Martin Branner; pencils: Martin Branner; inks: Martin Branner	Perry Winkle
39	-	comic story	0.2	script: Martin Branner; pencils: Martin Branner; inks: Martin Branner	Looie the lawyer
40	-	comic story	0.5	script: Fred Harman; pencils: Fred Harman; inks: Fred Harman	Bronc Peeler; Coyote Pete
41	-	comic story	0.5	script: Fred Harman; pencils: Fred Harman; inks: Fred Harman
42	Nugent's Originals	activity	1	script: A. W. Nugent; pencils: A. W. Nugent; inks: A. W. Nugent
43	-	comic story	0.8	script: Al Posen; pencils: Al Posen; inks: Al Posen	Ella, Eddie
44	-	comic story	0.2	script: Al Posen; pencils: Al Posen; inks: Al Posen
45	-	comic story	0.6	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby	Skippy Skinner; Butch
46	-	comic story	0.4	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby
47	-	comic story	1	script: Robert L. Ripley; pencils: Robert L. Ripley; inks: Robert L. Ripley
48	-	comic story	2.1	script: Frank V. Martinek; pencils: Leon A. Beroth; inks: Leon A. Beroth	Don Winslow; Admiral Cross; Red Pennington
49	-	comic story	0.9	script: Frank V. Martinek; pencils: Leon A. Beroth; inks: Leon A. Beroth	Bos'n Hal; Ellen; John; Captain Bell
50	Georgie Is the Mama	text story	2	script: Chet Grant	Georgie; Mrs, Blake; Bertie; Bertha
51	-	comic story	0.5	script: Fred Harman; pencils: Fred Harman; inks: Fred Harman	Bronc Peeler; Coyote Pete
52	-	comic story	0.5	script: Fred Harman; pencils: Fred Harman; inks: Fred Harman
53	Real Magic	activity	1	script: A. W. Nugent; pencils: A. W. Nugent; inks: A. W. Nugent
54	-	comic story	1	script: Frank King; pencils: Frank King; inks: Frank King	Skeezix; Trixie; Chesty
55	-	comic story	3	script: Milton Caniff; pencils: Milton Caniff; inks: Milton Caniff; letters: Frank Engli	Connie, The Dragon Lady First, Terry Lee, Pat Ryan
56	Briar's Fate	comic story	1	script: Edwin Alger; pencils: Edwin Alger; inks: Edwin Alger	Ben Webster
57	-	comic story	0.8	script: Gaar Williams; pencils: Gaar Williams; inks: Gaar Williams	Mort Green
58	Zipper Brings the Paper	comic story	0.2	script: Gaar Williams; pencils: Gaar Williams; inks: Gaar Williams	Zipper
59	-	comic story	1	script: Zack Mosley; pencils: Zack Mosley; inks: Zack Mosley	Smilin' Jack Martin
60	-	comic story	0.6	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	The Skipper; Ed; Joe
61	-	comic story	0.4	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	Little Stanley
62	And then, for Jeff, the War was over	comic story	0.7	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Mutt; Jeff
63	Cat on the Piano	comic story	0.3	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Cicero's Cat
64	-	comic story	1	script: Robert L. Ripley; pencils: Robert L. Ripley; inks: Robert L. Ripley
65	-	comic story	0.6	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby	Skippy Skinner
66	-	comic story	0.4	script: Percy Crosby; pencils: Percy Crosby; inks: Percy Crosby
67	-	comic story	0.8	script: Ferd Johnson; pencils: Ferd Johnson; inks: Ferd Johnson	Lovey Docey
68	-	comic story	0.2	script: Ferd Johnson; pencils: Ferd Johnson; inks: Ferd Johnson	Texas Slim
69	-	comic story	0.8	script: Tack Knight; pencils: Tack Knight; inks: Tack Knight	Horace Laney; Baxter
70	-	comic story	0.2	script: Tack Knight; pencils: Tack Knight; inks: Tack Knight	Uncle Harper
71	-	comic story	1	script: F. King; pencils: F. King; inks: F. King	Skeezix Wallet
72	-	comic story	0.8	script: Al Posen; pencils: Al Posen; inks: Al Posen	Pa Sweeney; Sonny Sweeney
73	-	comic story	0.2	script: Al Posen; pencils: Al Posen; inks: Al Posen
74	-	comic story	0.7	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Mutt; Mrs. Mutt; Cicero Mutt; Peter
75	Cat Imitates Monkey	comic story	0.3	script: Bud Fisher; pencils: Bud Fisher; inks: Bud Fisher	Cicero's Cat
76	-	comic story	0.6	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	The Skipper; Ed; Aunt Emma
77	-	comic story	0.4	script: Fontaine Fox; pencils: Fontaine Fox; inks: Fontaine Fox	Little Stanley
78	-	comic story	0.5	script: Stanley Link; pencils: Stanley Link; inks: Stanley Link	Tiny Tim; Dotty
79	-	comic story	0.5	script: Gus Edson; pencils: Gus Edson; inks: Gus Edson	Streaky

Before you buy

Golden-age paper is brittle. Ask about page suppleness and check edges for chips in the photos.
Check for trimmed edges, married covers, and clipped coupons - all common on books this old.
Confirm the indicia matches this plate; many golden-age titles changed names mid-run.

Series context

‹ #23 of 145#4 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com